Gandhi and Tolstoy

Gandhi first wrote to Tolstoy on 1 October 1909 (Gandhi was 40 and Tolstoy 81), sent from London. Tolstoy replied on 20 October 1909. This is what he wrote (Tolstoy wrote in Russian, and an English translation was sent to Gandhi each time he wrote):

"I have just received your most interesting letter, which has given me much pleasure. God help our dear brothers and co-workers in the Transvaal. The same struggle of the soft against the harsh, of meekness and love against pride and violence, is making itself felt every year more and more among us here ... I greet you fraternally and am happy to have contact with you."

"As a humble follower of yours, I send you herewith a booklet which I have written. It is my own [English] translation of a Gujrati writing ... I am most anxious noy to worry you, but if your health permits it, and if you could find the time to go through the booklet, needless to say I shall value very highly your criticism of the writing."

Tolstoy replied to Gandhi's letter on 8 may 1910.

"I just received your letter and your book Indian Home Rule. I read your book with great interest because of the things and questions you treat in it: passive resistance is a question of the greatest importance, not only in India, but for the whole of humanity.

I cannot find your former letter, but came across your biography by J.Doss (note from Rafick: in fact the biographer was J.Doke) which too interested me much and gave me the possibility to know and understand your letter. I am not quite well at present and therefore abstain from writing to you all what I have to say about your book and all your work, which I appreciate very much, but will do so as soon as I will feel better."

Gandhi wrote to Tolstoy again on 15 August 1910 from Johannesburg. He acknowledged Tolstoy's letter and said: "I shall look forward to your detailed criticism of the work which you have been so good as to promise in your letter."

It was only several days after Tolstoy death that his last letter, dated 20 September 1910, reached Gandhi, as it had been sent to someone in England to be posted. This is what Tolstoy wrote (bold characters Rafick's):

"The longer I live, and especially now when I vividly feel the nearness of death, I want to tell others what I feel particularly and what to my mind is of great importance--namely, that which is called passive resistance, but which in reality is nothing else than the teaching of love, uncorrupted by false interpretations.

That love ... is the highest and only law of human life and in the depths of his soul every human being (as we see most clearly in children) feels and knows this; he knows this until he is tangles by the false teachings of the world. This law was proclaimed by all, by the Indian as well as by the Chinese, Hebrew, Greek and Roman sages of the world ...

In reality as soon as force was admitted into love, there was no more love as the law of life, and as there was no more law of love, there was no love at all, except violence--i.e. the power of the strongest. Thus Christian mankind has lived for nineteen centuries ...

This lens was blessed by Squid Angel Bus_Stop_Toy_Shop on 08/04/2011 and ShirlW on 08/12/2011. Thank you very much, Bus_Stop_Toy_Shop and ShirlW.